pain education save money adriaan louw physical therapy

Does massage reduce arthritis pain?

If you’re struggling with arthritis pain, you may find relief with massage therapy. The benefits of massage include improved local circulation, relaxation, and pain reduction. It is not a cure for arthritis, but it can allow you to move better and live more independently. This article examines how massage works

Read more »
Illustration of a generic joint at stages 1 and 2 of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): Does massage work?

Rheumatoid arthritis — or RA — is an autoimmune disorder that lasts a lifetime. It typically affects your joints, like fingers, shoulders, and knees, but it may affect your eyes, lungs, blood vessels, skin, and heart. Since massage therapy can help alleviate pain for many types of chronic pain conditions,

Read more »
Five bottles of skin care products with peptides.

5 best peptides for skin care and what you should look for (2024)

Peptides are short chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. They are molecular in size. Many kinds of peptides naturally exist in our bodies to send signals to different types of cells. Some are precursors to hormones like insulin and oxytocin. Others play vital roles in

Read more »

5 best DonJoy knee braces

DonJoy knee braces provide direct to consumer options beyond your standard knee sleeve. Once mostly available via prescription only, these braces are now easily obtainable in stores and online for anyone who needs a little extra support for their knees. DonJoy’s line of braces includes products that target users who

Read more »
black knee brace

What do knee braces do?

Knee braces are medical devices worn around the knee joint to provide stability, support, and/or protection. These braces are often used by people with new knee injuries, after knee surgery, or who suffer from chronic conditions, such as arthritis. Knee braces can be condition-specific or used for general knee pain.

Read more »
personal trainer passive stretching client

What causes hip pain that radiates down your leg?

Hip pain comes in a garden-variety like shoulder pain, knee pain, and back pain. And so, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for it. Sometimes different types of hip pain overlap with one another, like hip flexor pain with snapping hip syndrome. And sometimes pelvic pain, such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory

Read more »
knee joint illustration, black and white

Does patellar tracking disorder cause knee pain?

Patellar tracking disorder refers to patella (kneecap) moving out of place when you bend or extend your knee. Many physical therapists and other clinicians believe that this “imbalance” is the cause of most types of knee pain, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).  But do you really need to fix

Read more »
jumper's knee massage

Does massage work for jumper’s knee?

Jumper’s knee has long plagued athletes regardless of sport or skill level. It typically affects young athletes participating in high-impact sports, such as basketball, volleyball, track and field, tennis, and football. NBA’s Dwayne Wade and Kyrie Irving had it, and so did Super Bowl’s most valuable player Julian Edelman and

Read more »
leg press exercise PFPS knee pain

Best Exercises for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)

Patellofemoral pain syndrome, or PFPS, describes pain in the front of the knee after sitting with your knees bent for a while, especially when you sit in a tight space on a long flight or in a movie theater. Sometimes PFPS is called “runners’ knee”, which is a vague term

Read more »
mcl injury football knee pain

What is MCL injury? Causes, Treatments, Evidence

An MCL injury is a sprain or tear of the medial collateral ligament, which is located on the inner side of the knee. It’s made up of a strong band of connective tissues that connects your femur to your tibia. The MCL works with the other knee ligaments—anterior cruciate ligament

Read more »
split squat jumpers knee

Can Massage Help an LCL Injury?

An LCL injury refers to a tear or sprain to the lateral collateral ligament, which is on the outer side of the knee. The ligament connects the femur to the fibula and works with the medial collateral ligament (MCL) to limit side-to-side motion of the knee and brace it against

Read more »